Progressive students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a protest early on Wednesday over the recent coming out of the university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, on campus.
The demonstration followed an announcement by Shibir's JU unit president and secretary on Tuesday night.
The students began their procession from the Battala area, marching through various campus roads and ending at the Shaheed Minar, where they held a short rally.
Students from various departments addressed the crowd, led by Tamim Srot, a student from the 49th batch of the Anthropology Department.
Speaking at the rally, Faiza Mehzabeen, a student from the 48th batch of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, said: “Jamaat-Shibir was involved in the atrocities of 1971 and cannot deny its responsibility. Even in the 1980s, Chhatra Shibir engaged in violent acts as a terrorist organization. We have resisted such groups repeatedly, and we will not tolerate their presence in our university.”
Sohagi Samia, an organizer for the university unit of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, emphasized that Shibir has no place in independent Bangladesh.
“In 1971, there were forces who opposed the Liberation War. To stand here in 2024 and attempt politics based on that ideology, in a country they never wanted, is unacceptable. Secularism is enshrined in our constitution; a student organization cannot use religion for politics in a secular state,” she said.
Amartya Roy, a student from the 47th batch of the Archaeology Department, condemned Shibir’s lack of accountability.
“Shibir has never apologized for attacks like those on Kabir and Dipu, nor have they stood up against worker killings or inflation. Instead, they only stir unrest. Any organization with blood on its hands must seek justice before it can operate. They owe an apology to the 14,000 students on this campus,” Roy added.
Leaders of Shibir, who had kept their political identities hidden for a long time, have come forward recently at several universities, including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University and Jagannath University.